Surprises On Street Corners
by CayshaGriffin
Summary: Two strangers meet on a sunny street in Gotham and recognize each other, even though they've never met before. Implied Batman/Joker .


Disclaimer: I do not own Batman or Joker. Just the idea that spurred this story.

A/N: I had to write this strange piece after it popped into my head. A slight departure from my regular writing style I think, but I love this strange and awkward little piece.

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There were extremely justifiable reasons why Bruce Wayne never waited for the car outside of Wayne Enterprises. It wasn't because he didn't want to 'mingle with commoners' , he wished he was them most of the time. It would make living a double life so much easier. No, it was the staring. The open mouth gaping that most people adopted when they recognized Gotham's playboy prince just standing on the sidewalk.

But today had been beautiful, clear unfettered sunlight reaching all the way down to street level in the bustling, often dank city.

Looking at his city in daylight, it managed to make the darkness recede from his world for a little while. Bruce basked in it as he waited for Alfred to bring the car around, celebrity chasers be damned.

Closing his eyes to feel the warmth was a mistake he hadn't counted on though, as he was suddenly knocked off his feet with a lanky body falling over him. Some unconscious recognition snapped in Bruce's mind and he suddenly had the person pinned to the sidewalk underneath him.

He hadn't even realized he was glaring at the person until he heard a gasp from some random onlooker, making his eyes focus on the person he had assailed.

Bruce blinked and looked down at the twenty-something man looking up at him with wide, anxious eyes. Green as acid, blond kinky curls falling away from his unmarked face. But...

"Oh shit," the man proclaimed loudly in an even, slightly accented voice. No gravel and grit tone. "I'm sorry! Wasn't looking where I was, uh, you know, going." He said with a nervous laugh absent of familiar madness.

Bruce stared, conflicted. When he didn't move after a moment the man underneath him started to shake, eyes darting around at the growing number of onlookers like a frightened animal. Like any moment someone would come to drag him away.

It made Bruce suddenly snap to and get to his feet, then hesitated before offering his hand to the man. Confusion burning his insides.

"No problem," he said flatly, studying the blond as he stood, not releasing the ungloved hand. "Bruce Wayne."

Those green eyes widened again and Bruce watched an array of emotions flash through them. Recognition, shock, confusion, and delight which was quickly cut off and led back into sudden fear.

But Bruce refused to let go of the hand trying to tug free from his, waiting.

"It's uh...Erik, no..." The man shook his head suddenly as he fumbled. "Jacob."

Bruce smirked and let go of the hand, 'Jacob' looked like he wanted to hit him for it but refrained as he looked around at the crowd. Stuffing both hands in his jean pockets and bowing his head so his blond hair covered his unblemished face.

It confused Bruce. He wasn't sure if he'd gone insane or if fate had a very strange sense of humor today.

Then Jacob licked nervously at the corner of his mouth.

Bruce was startled by sound of the car pulling up beside them, Alfred coming out to open the door for him.

"Sir?" Alfred asked curiously, staring at the young man with Bruce.

"Just an accidental collision, Alfred. Nothing to worry about," He said easily, giving the young man a smile that was partly for show to put the crowd and Alfred at ease.

Jacob looked at him strangely.

But Bruce was ever mindful of the onlookers.

"Need a ride anywhere, Jacob? Least I can do for nearly taking your head off." A true apology, though he didn't know why.

Bruce wasn't sure if the blond oddity could look anymore confused, his body swaying back and forth as he seemed to mull over it.

He looked on guard when he spoke. "Just a ride?"

Bruce nodded. "That's all I'm asking." 'And maybe an explanation'.

But he knew that answer. It was the same reason why he smiled and charmed his way through the day. It was the wrong place, wrong time, they were wearing different masks. They weren't the same people.

Jacob nodded silently, giving Alfred a weary look before ducking into the car before Bruce, no doubt checking to make sure the doors unlocked by themselves on the inside.

Bruce followed and noticed that Jacob was sitting as far away and on the opposite side of the car as possible. Alfred did nothing more but raise an eyebrow before shutting the door and leaving both men in a tinted cool darkness where silence reigned.

They didn't know what to do with themselves.

Jacob watched Bruce, arms wrapped around himself, only wearing a pair of worn jeans and an AC/DC shirt. It was, strange to say the least.

"So," Bruce started a little less then casually to break the silence. "What were you doing Jo..."

Bruce saw the man freeze up, that frightened animal look coming back to his eyes.

"...Jacob?"

Jacob relaxed and Bruce wondered how the man got through a single day like this if he stuttered to a halt like a deer in headlights at any possible slip. But then again, he probably dealt well with people who didn't know. People who weren't Bruce.

The cards were on the table and neither one of them knew what to do.

"I was...on my way to work."

"Oh." Surprised wasn't even the half of it considering this little revelation.

Jacob sighed with obvious annoyance, and for a moment the guise was transparent before he became that twenty-something kid again. "Look, every once in a while...I like this. If you'd have a heart, I'm Jacob." The growl that suddenly came out of Jacob's mouth didn't belong to the twenty-something. " And Jacob wants out of the fucking car!"

He dove at the door and Bruce realized the man was willing to jump out of a moving vehicle to get away from him. He reached out to stop him and managed to grab the mans hand. Jacob suddenly recoiled with a pained hiss, slamming back against his seat as if he'd been hit.

Bruce opened his mouth to say something, but he wasn't sure what there was to say.

"Are we dropping you off at the Narrows?"

Jacob sneered. "All _assumptions_, Brucey." And he suddenly balked at his own tone. Bruce had accidentally knocked the mans mask askew and Jacob was now fumbling to right it. "I mean....no. I work downtown at a music store. 58th and Broadway, boss is gonna kill me if I'm late." He snorted, a restrained laugh. "I usually am."

It was like watching a struggling actor who couldn't contain his own ticks to get through the lines. What had made the most feared man in Gotham do what he was doing right now?

Before Bruce knew what he was doing, he'd reached across the seats to touch Jacob's smooth cheek in slight wonder. Green eyes flicked up in surprise just in time to slap Bruce's hand away viciously.

"_Don't_!" He snapped. "Hint at it all you want, Wayne. But don't you dare!"

Bruce didn't try to hide his confusion.

"I just don't know how you..."

Jacob smirked. "Could ask you the same thing, but I'm _not_. After all," he shrugged. "We're just two strangers who bumped into each other on the street. You don't get a lovers familiarity with me."

Bruce accepted that. If he didn't cross a line into the day light life of the man across from him, the favor would be returned. He gave Alfred the address and both men spent the rest of the ride in silence, studying each other like they'd never met before.

Jacob went for the door the moment the car stopped, but Bruce made an effort to catch the mans shoulder. The blond stiffened under the touch before he let out a sigh.

"Look, you leave me alone and I'll let you in on something," green eyes turned to glint at him in surprisingly welcome familiarity. "Your buddies friend is gonna be out tonight. He's out to cause a little mischief and he wanted me to pass on the invitation." A knowing smile. "Make sure it gets into the right hands for me?"

Bruce returned the secretive smirk and nodded, letting this strange, beautifully plain man go. Something he wasn't allowed to have. "Yeah."

Jacob smiled, a faint sadness in his expression. Maybe Bruce wasn't something he was allowed to have either. A chance meeting they both knew would never happen again.

Jacob would never walk by Wayne Tower again, Bruce would never try to find the music shop. Trust built over years of nights and early mornings together where they took off their masks, smiled at one another and laughed at their obvious nakedness.

But these lives were their own, and the other was not allowed to play more then this brief cameo.

Bruce would miss Jacob. But he could live without him.

As Jacob disappeared into the bustling downtown streets of Gotham where not even a passing glance was tossed his way, Bruce saw the blond tilt his head up to the sun and close his eyes with a content smile. Bruce understood.

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P.S. Reviews are pure love. X3


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